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City Watch #6

Our sixth round up of recent news and events around Wellington. If you think we’ve missed anything or having any tip offs or information please contact us. Thanks to those who have been sending things in.

The Dominion Post concur with us that WWC’s draft alcohol policy will not stop the pre-loaders from getting a head start before they go out for the night but instead will see them start drinking excessively earlier in the evening.

The husband of South Wairarapa District’s Mayor, and honorary Belgian Consul to New Zealand, Don Staples, isn’t impressed with the Wairarapa amalgamation version of the “Downfall” bunker scene parody, threatening defamation actiona against those involved in the comments section of the video. All that seems to be doing is driving the view count up.

Wellington mayoral candidate Jack Yan spent a night hearing the concerns of Wellingtonians around the city’s draft alcohol policy as worked the bar at Dragonfly.

The upgrade of the Miramar Avenue and Park Road junction is on target to be finished before the Wellington Film Festival starts at the end of July.

An interesting piece in the Dominion Post argues that the results of the recently released public transport spine study are based on assumptions that don’t match international experience and common sense. A retired engineer has also labelled the study a “damp squib.”

Hundreds of Wellington residents are still without electricity as the post-storm clean up continues. Around 26,000 customers had their power cut off after heavy rain and gale force winds hounded the capital city last Thursday night. Those affected are being offered free use of council facilities like showers.

Celia Wade-Brown praised the workers and volunteers who responded to the big storm to help the Wellington area get through the southerly storm. It’s times like this that really shows the benefit of strong council services.

As we covered here, Peter Glensor is quitting local government. Now some the other long servers need to get a move on.

The formal farewell function organised by Southern Ward councillor Paul Eagle for the 27 Wellington City Council workers with more than 500 years of service between had to be postponed, ironically because they were needed to help clean-up the city following the recent storm.

More than 420 submissions were made on the Kapiti Coast District Council’s controversial coastal erosion rules.

Councillors will this week decided whether to create a $3million fund to help kick-start major projects through an Wellington Economic Initiatives Development Fund in a bid to help drive economic growth in the city. One of new CEO Kevin Leary’s priorities, you have to wonder why the economic development portfolio leader Jo Coughlan didn’t do this years ago.

Lambton Ward candidate Nicola Young agrees with ex-ACT MP and National Party candidate Stephen Franks on our “foolish affection for trolley buses”.

Porirua residents believe that bottle shops should be restricted to Porirua’s CBD, be kept away from schools, and should ideally shut by 9pm.

Hutt Valley residents are denying the inevitable and have rejected the idea of a Wellington-based super-city, with most preferring the status quo of two councils. No doubt Upper Hutt will follow the same route of denial. Wellington.Scoop has a good summary of the state of play in the region.

After lengthy negotiations Keith Spry Pool in Johnsonville is get a much-needed upgrade when a $6 million revamp started last week and is expected to take about 17 months. Just in time for Helene Ritchie’s reelection campaign.

Failed Eastern ward and mayoral candidate and current chair of Enterprise Miramar Peninsula thinks development of the Miramar Peninsular is one of Wellington’s biggest economic opportunity.

John “Plaigarism” Morrison promptly apologised after he was caught out lifting huge chunks of WCC CEO Kevin Lavery’s first major speech.

The Wellington Regional Council finally lodged its application to the Local Government Commission recommending the creation of a new two-tier Wellington Council to replace the existing nine territorial authorities in the region. Fran Wilde’s biggest cheerleader, Mayor Nick Leggett and his council, sent a letter supporting it.

Newtown residents are worried that changes in local policing mean they are seeing less of their community constable and that could lead to more crime.

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One response to “City Watch #6”

Hi there,
I’d just like to let you know that the Downfall parody that has been doing the rounds has nothing to do with Better Wairarapa. You’ll see that whoever created it and posted it on YouTube has posted links to the Better Wairarapa website and to the Wairarapa Governance Review Working Party (i.e both sides of the argument), but it appears that people have assumed that Better Wairarapa is responsible and this is incorrect. Could you please correct this in your column.
Many thanks.